Results 32,701-32,720 of 33,289 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I have given the view on the scheme as clearly as I can. I completely understand where the Deputy is coming from and why he is raising the issue. As I said, it is really important that any changes we make at a time in which supply is still not increasing at the speed we want do not add to inflationary difficulties. I will take on board what he said.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Yield (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Finance Act 2020 legislated for annual increases in the carbon tax rate of €7.50 until 2029, along with a final increment of €6.50, bringing the rate to €100 per tonne of carbon dioxide in 2030, with current rates based on charging €63.50 per tonne of CO2 emissions. Under the programme for Government, it has been agreed to continue with the planned carbon tax...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Yield (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: This is a revenue-collecting measure that pays for public services and improvements in those things that can make a difference to a greener future for Ireland. Annual increases in carbon tax have been ring-fenced to ensure that this money is used to fund the development of better infrastructure across our country, help with the cost of fuel poverty and fund things we know our country needs...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Yield (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I was careful in my answer. I said that the increases in carbon taxes since I introduced this measure in the Finance Act 2020 have been ring-fenced. Before I put in place the increases to which we are referring, there had been a base carbon tax, which was the foundation for all of this and the revenue from which goes to pay for public services. The Deputy stated that it said something...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund were established in 2024 following the passage of the Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Act through the Oireachtas. The majority of the Act commenced on 30 July 2024. The funds seek to future-proof the public finances and deal with future challenges such as our country growing older,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The day-to-day management of the funds is done by the National Treasury Management Agency. The NTMA is preparing long-term investment strategies for both funds that will then be subject to consultation with the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. These strategies are being reviewed and will then be signed off on by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I would expect those kinds of issues to be considered carefully by those involved in investing this money, which we are now building up. We had a debate last night on this topic in the Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach where I said that I am reluctant to put in place lots of legislation and restrictions regarding how...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025 is the result of a recommendation in the Department of Finance’s 2022 review of retail banking. The objectives of the Act are to ensure sufficient and effective access to cash in the State; to put in place a framework to manage future changes to the cash infrastructure in a fair, orderly, equitable and transparent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I will look at that issue. I am struck, despite what I said, by the number of premises I now walk into, like shops and cafés, that say "card only". I can understand completely the benefits they get in that regard. There are benefits to the economy overall as well in being able to record transactions and look at how tax is collected. However, I go back to the point I agreed on a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I would be reluctant to give that commitment to the Deputy here today because I would need to consider whether that would have any unintended consequences regarding policies we have on the legal tender of cash. That is now being developed within the European Union. As I said to the Deputy, I will look at the matter. I want to ensure that citizens do not in any way feel excluded from our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 21 together. It is always a privilege to be here as regularly as I am to answer the important questions Deputies put to me and to respond to the Dáil. I want to highlight where we are from a jobs point of view in Ireland. It is a really positive development in our economy overall. Total employment in the last year alone went up by 90,000...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: We need to look at all policies available to the Government in order to see how to make more progress in this area. Having been out and about with the Deputy a number of months ago in many of the towns in the constituency he represents, I am aware of the variety of employers located there. Due to the fact that we now have such a diverse set of employers in Ireland, we need to take a step...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (29 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree with the Deputy. As he stated, this is an important achievement that the Government has to try to sustain. The Ireland in which I began my education did not have this level of employment. There is much we know we need to do better on and every TD on the Government benches is aware of the difficulties that we face and that we committed to trying to deal with. At the same time,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Schemes (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy should note that my Department and I share concerns that the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme or DDS is no longer fit-for-purpose and believe it should be replaced with a needs-based, grant-led approach for necessary vehicle adaptations that could serve to improve the functional mobility of the individual.  However, this is very much a matter for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Data Protection (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 117 and 118 together. I am advised by Revenue that the disposal of call recording records in accordance with the “Schedule of Records” and “Records Retention and Disposal Policy” published on Revenue.ie is not considered a personal data breach for the purposes of Article 4 (12) of the General Data Protection Regulation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Correspondence (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: An “Exchange Traded Fund” or “ETF” is an investment fund that is traded on a regulated stock exchange. A typical ETF can be compared to a tracker fund in that it will seek to replicate a particular index. There is no separate taxation regime specifically for ETFs. ETFs, being collective investment funds, generally come within the regimes set out in the Taxes...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Interest Rates (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Matters in relation to personal insolvency, and the processing of personal insolvency cases, are a matter for the Department of Justice. In relation to interest rates, the formulation and implementation of monetary policy is an independent matter for the European Central Bank (ECB).  The ECB increased official interest rates over the course of 2022 and 2023 as it moved to combat...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Fines Administration (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the payment of court imposed fines and penalties is a matter for the Courts Service and the Department of Justice. Any consideration of an expansion of the collection mechanisms for such fines and penalties would require careful consideration and would be a matter for the Minister for Justice in the first instance. If the Deputy wishes to provide further...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Illicit Trade (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised that since 2009, Revenue, in conjunction with the HSE’s National Tobacco Control Office, has commissioned Ipsos MRBI to conduct annual independent market research among smokers about the source of their cigarettes. The purpose of this research is to estimate the volume of non-Irish duty paid cigarettes being consumed in Ireland. Since 2013, this cigarette research has been...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Climate Action Plan (28 May 2025)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 118(5A) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA) provides for an exemption from benefit-in-kind (BIK) where an employer purchases a travel pass for one of their employees or directors. This is commonly known as the TaxSaver scheme. Under section 118B TCA, an employer and employee may also enter into a salary sacrifice arrangement under which the employee agrees to sacrifice part of...